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Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader/USA TODAY NETWORK
Missouri State football player Todric McGee died from an accidental gunshot wound, authorities confirm to PEOPLE.
McGee, 21, died on Saturday, April 19, hours after first responders transported him from his residence to a local hospital, the Springfield Police Department said in a news release, according NBC affiliate KYTV in Springfield.
McGee’s death comes as a shock to those close to the starting safety, who was known for his wide smile and hard-working demeanor.
“He wasn’t depressed, there’s no mental issues or anything like that that would make this happen, it’s just a tragic accident, and I just want people to know that you know he’s a good kid,” said McGee’s mother, Stephanie Pope, told KYTV.
Related: College Football Player Todric McGee Dies at 21 Following 'Possible Accidental Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound'
Last year, the Wichita, Kansas native began a GoFundMe for his mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm, according to the Springfield News-Leader.
“He was a 20, 21-year-old kid who saw his mom in a different light,” McGee’s high school football coach, Steve Martin, told the newspaper. “To see him be selfless and come back and want to be around mom and help her out pays tribute to the type of home he grew up in. They were tight-knit. Todric didn’t lose any of that, and he just gained more appreciation for all the things Steph did for him.”
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On Monday, McGee’s friends and family released balloons and shared memories about the dedicated student, who loved to travel and looked up to his sister, who played Division 1 basketball in Texas. They gathered at Plaster Stadium, where the player was set to begin his fifth season with the team in the fall.
“He was always there, and he was just everything. He was a sibling I needed,” McGee’s sister Tahlia Pope told KYTV.
And his friends and teammates considered him family.
Related: Cincinnati Freshman Football Player Jeremiah Kelly Dies Unexpectedly at 18: 'A Heartbreaking Loss'
"He was a lighthearted person," Zaire Adkins told the News-Leader. "He was always joking around and explaining things in the funniest way. His smile was contagious and infectious. He was always smiling and laughing."
Added Adkins, "None of us wants to believe it. I know it's going to bring us all back together, and it's going to make us stronger. But for how this happened and why this happened at this time of his life... it just sucks."
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